The Cowboy Lassos a Bride(18)

Once Luke showed up, his hair still damp from a quick shower, they  settled down to the meal. Hannah played hostess, serving her guests and  making sure everyone had what they needed. Conversation quickly turned  to ranch work and the herd, and the menfolk synced up their schedules  for the following day.

"It's good to see you," Hannah said to Mia when there was a lull in the  conversation. "I already miss hanging out with the gang around Autumn's  dinner table."

"Well, I think you'll see a lot more of me, if Ned's agreeable." Mia  bent forward to smile down the table at him. "Did you bring the rental  paperwork?"

Ned stared back at her, having just taken a bite of mashed potatoes.  Luke was staring at her, too. In fact he'd been staring at her  throughout the meal so far. Jake hurried to fill the sudden silence.

"I told Mia how you said you were looking for someone to move in with  you, just like Hannah has moved in with me," he announced to Ned. "You  know-to rent your spare room? Mia says three hundred dollars a month  suits her just fine. She'd like to move in as soon as possible."                       
       
           



       

Ned swallowed hard and took a swig of his beer before he answered. "I …   uh … " He met Mia's wide-eyed gaze and choked back the harsh words Jake  figured he meant to say. "I guess …  that would work," he ended lamely.

"Are you sure?" Mia wrinkled her brow. "You sound a little hesitant."

"No. It's just … " Ned scanned the faces of his family, obviously looking  for help. Jake just smiled at him. His parents watched curiously.

Luke leaned forward. "If he says no, I'll … "

"I didn't say no," Ned snapped. "That would work fine for me. We don't  need any paperwork, though. We'll just shake on it. I'll make sure the  room is empty and ready for you by noon tomorrow."

Mia smiled and her whole face lit up. She wasn't Jake's type, but he  could see she could easily be Ned's. Or Luke's. "That would be terrific!  Maybe I can cook for you the way Hannah does for Jake. I don't mind-it  would be fun!"

Ned sat back. "Well, now. If you'll do the cooking, I'll do the eating."  He gave her a considering look and then flicked his gaze to Luke, whose  face looked like thunder. Jake realized he might have made a misstep.  Did Luke have a thing for Mia? And did Ned, too? Or did he simply relish  the prospect of sticking a knife into Luke's heart and twisting the  blade?

"You shouldn't take advantage of her good nature," Luke said.

"You're just jealous no one's trying to move into your cabin," Ned said.

"That's enough," their mother said mildly. "Hannah, you've done a real  fine job with this meal. A fancy table cloth and everything! Is this a  special occasion?"

"Not really," Jake hastened to say when Hannah didn't answer. Hannah had  been quiet most of the meal and he sensed she was angry. He still  hadn't had a chance to talk to her about the torn condom. He had a  feeling he was going to pay for that, but he couldn't understand why  she'd worked so hard to clean and prepare this fancy meal if she was mad  at him.

"Now, that's not what I heard." Ned helped himself to another dollop of  mashed potatoes and then placing an even bigger dollop on Luke's plate.  Jake knew for sure Luke hated mashed potatoes. Ned seemed intent on  stirring up trouble tonight.

"Ned." He wasn't sure what his brother meant to say, but he was positive it wouldn't be good.

"I heard," Ned cut right across him, "that this is a very happy occasion indeed!"

Hannah stared at him. Jake was at a loss. His parents waited expectantly. Mia had a smile already forming on her lips.

"What occasion?" Lisa prompted.

"Didn't you know?" Ned threw an arm around Hannah's shoulders and gave her a vigorous squeeze. "Hannah's pregnant!"





‡

Chapter Nine





As chaos erupted all around her, Hannah wished more than anything a hole  would open up in the hardwood floor and she could sink out of sight  into it. Now six other people knew her secret-or a twisted version of  that secret-which meant the whole town would know in seconds flat. So  much for any chance to decide on her own which course to take. Should  she even be pregnant-the chances of which were slim to none.

"You told him about-" Jake's hands were flat on the table, his expression shocked.

"Is that true?" Lisa's voice cut across the din.

Hannah raised her gaze to the older woman and shook her head slowly. "No. Probably not."

"They had a little trouble." Ned leaned forward. "Jake might need a  refresher course on prophylactics." He sounded out each syllable of the  long word.

"Ned!" Lisa and Jake spoke at once.

Hannah stood up on shaky legs. "Excuse me." She pushed back from the  table and hurried away, catching only a glimpse of Jake's stunned  expression and Mia's concerned one. Ned was grinning, the bastard, and  Holt seemed amused, too. Lisa's lips had pressed into a thin line.

"Hannah, wait," Lisa said before she made it to the stairs. "My son owes  you an apology and I'd like him to make it before I beat him into a  coma."

"Mom-Ow!" Hannah glanced back in time to see Lisa take hold of Ned's ear  and tweak it, hard. Ned tried to jerk away from her and got a second  tweak for his efforts. "Darn it!"

"Apologize!"

"Fine! Sorry, Hannah. I didn't realize it was a big secret; you were  talking about kids with Dad in the middle of the ranch for all to hear."                       
       
           



       

"That's the sorriest excuse for an apology I've ever heard!" Lisa was  truly angry. Ned slid a glance her way and straightened up.

"Sorry," he murmured again. "That was uncalled for." He shot a dark  glance at Jake and Hannah suddenly understood. Ned hadn't said it to  hurt her, he was getting back at Jake …  but for what? Well, who cared?  She'd never understand this family and she didn't want to.

"If Hannah does turn out to be pregnant, which is unlikely-and nobody's  business but ours," Jake said in a steely voice, "we will deal with it  as we see fit. I might as well say right now I've asked her to marry  me." At his mother's intake of breath he held up a hand. "Hannah hasn't  said yes. She's asked for some time to think it over, and I've given it  to her."

"I hope not too much time," Holt said caustically.

"Two weeks," Jake shot back. "We'll let you know what we decide."

Lisa let out her breath, but her eyes sparkled. "A winter wedding. How exciting."

"Mom!"

"I won't say another word," Lisa said and pretended to zip her mouth  closed, but she couldn't hide her smiles and Hannah warmed just a little  to know that as far as her potential mother-in-law was concerned such a  marriage would be a happy thing.

She hesitated at the base of the stairs, wanting to escape, but not  wanting to offend Lisa. She also didn't want to give Holt an excuse to  come up with more unreasonable demands for her to meet during the next  thirteen days.

"Come on back, sweetie. I'll keep these boys in line," Lisa said. "Now, Mia-tell me about yourself. Where do you work again?"

It could be worse, Hannah thought as she sat stiffly back down in her  seat, holding herself apart from Ned. The Mathesons could all hate her  guts. From the reactions of the family around the table, it looked like  she'd be welcome here if she did marry Jake. She couldn't imagine  belonging to this crazy family, though. Maybe if she could remember that  Holt and Ned's disagreements were with each other and Jake, not with  her, she might do better at maintaining her equilibrium. Time to get a  grip and stop letting them throw her off her game. Mia grinned at  her-probably in solidarity-and Hannah tried to smile back. At least as  of tomorrow she'd have an ally on the ranch.

Mia thanked Jake when they said good-bye on the front porch after dinner.

"You were right about Fila," she confided in him.

Jake felt a guilty pang. "Really?"

"She didn't come right out and say so but I could tell she was really  grateful when I told her I was moving out." Mia leaned in to whisper,  "She actually cried a little. I gave her a hug and she held onto me so  tight."

Jake's heart sank. Was that gratitude or sorrow? Maybe Fila felt like  her friends were abandoning her one by one. He hadn't meant for that to  happen.

"I'm glad it's all worked out," he said slowly, feeling that nothing had  worked out even remotely the way he'd planned. Everyone knew about  Hannah's potential pregnancy; he'd somehow insulted her when he tried to  thank her for cleaning the house; instead of Mia's presence acting like  a brake on Ned's behavior it had spurred him to new heights of  tormenting Luke; and now Fila was brokenhearted over being left behind  at the Cruz ranch.